St James Gerrard’s Cross is an 1859 listed pre-Victorian church, with a brand new state of the art Church Centre for all kinds of community activities and modern church worship.

The challenge was to update and modernise the grade ll listed traditional church building so that it was working for the congregation, not just functioning as a museum to a bygone era. The plans developed to remove the pews, install underfloor heating, rationalise the levels, repaint the interior, install new lighting, fit a new kitchen and upgrade the toilets, and fit a wonderful sound and AV system, including a hydraulic rising stage so that the full expressions of drama and singing could be used for worship.

This bold and ambitious project met with considerable opposition from the heritage bodies, but eventually received both Planning Permission and a Faculty, which is the Diocesan approval. It took about 4 years to reach the point of approval. Construction started in October 2011 and was completed in Autumn 2012. This stunning project will ensure the use of the church for many years to come.